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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cue — a hint
  3. race — humankind
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. race — the arms race
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. race — a contest
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. court — of law
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. court — for sport
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. court — of a king
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — hurry
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wake — a trail

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com